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Box Mixes: To Use, or Not to Use?

I ask myself this question a lot. Do I have to make every single recipe from scratch to be featured on my blog? I finally came to a conclusion.

No I don’t. I don’t always have enough time to bake, even when I put baking as one of my top priorities (yes mom and dad; TOP), I’m really busy with school and I don’t think that will ever change. On Saturday morning I set my alarm for 6:30 to make coffee cupcakes to bring to my Saturday class which starts at 11:00. Well guess what I ended up waking waaayy later than that and I only had time to put together a carrot cake which BTW was a ‘box mix.’

When my mom suggested that, my first reaction was, “No way. I can’t put a box mix cake on my blog. Everyone knows how to make that and its nothing special.”

But thats when my mom suggested making a super fluffy and delicious butter cream frosting. I was thinking sure. I mean what do I have to loose?

Well after the cupcakes were done, I ws racing the clock and on my way to make the frosting when I realized I only had 4 oz of Philadelphia Cream cheese. I can’t frost 20 cupcakes with only that much!?

So I compromised. I used the Philadelphia cream cheese, icing sugar, butter, heavy whipping cream, milk and 1/4 cup of Pillsbury Super Creamy Frosting. I eyeballed all the measurements and created my own recipe along the way that just flowed and had a thick consistency.

I then decide this: Every time I would use a box mix for cupcakes, I would add something that would make it unique, such a my own frosting or maybe a Raspberry twist in Vanilla Cake.

Honestly, box mix is just fine. No one is going to judge you if you make it or say, “wow, just because she made a cupcake out of a box mix, she thinks she’s so pro.”

Using box mix doesn’t make you any less special. It’s just easier and quicker. Sure sometimes the taste is a bit synthetic. Like the Betty Crocker Chocolate Cake mix is just too bland. That’s why when I used that mix, I made my cupcakes into Chocolate Pecan Cupcakes with a Gram Cracker Crust. (Check out my first blog post!)

Look at this. Can anyone say these cupcakes are not perfect? I think the little stars are really adorable.

Enjoy your break and share a cupcake recipe with me that you added you personalized to make your own!